Room spray deodorizer



June 18, 1963 M. KAPLAN ROOM SPRAY DEODORIZER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJune 9, 1961 27 INVENTOR.

MART l KA PL AN %a/% ATTORNEYS June 18, 1963 M. KAPLAN ROOM SPRAYDEODORIZER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 9, 1961 INVENTOR. MARTIN KAPLANATTORNEYS United States Patent Filed June 9, 1961, Set. No..116,020.

1 Clainb. (Cl. 4-228) This invention relates to room spray deodorizers.and more particularly to spray deodorizers for use in conjunction withconventionaltoilets.

One of the objeets of my invention is the provision of. a roomspraydeodorizer which is adapted to be mountedwithin the water tank: ,of aconventional toilet and is actuable upon the operation of. the flushingmechanism of the toilet to discharge a spray.of,deodorant into theambient air.

Another object ofnmyflinvention is the provision of means. formonntingwithin the water tank of a conventional toilet anaerosol typecontainer containing deodorizing fluid and connecting the discharge,valve. of the. container to the flushing mechanism of the toilet wherebywith each fiushingof the toilet a spray of .d eodorizing material is,discharged into the ambient. air.

Still another object of my invention is the provislon. of an arrangementof the foregoing character which is simple in construction economical tomanufacture and readily installed.

Other and further objectsand advantages of my 1nvention will becomeapparent from the. following description whenthe same is considered inconnection with the. accompanying drawings in which;

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view show ng the tank portion of aconventional toilet and showing my invention applied thereto, the coverof the tank being removed.

-FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1and showing an embodiment of my invention prior to installation within atoilet tank.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of another embodiment of myinvention, showing the same applied to the water tank of a toilet.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 andshowing the same prior to installation.

'FIGS. 5 and 6 are modified embodiments of aerosol spray actuatingmeans, and

FIG. 7 is another modified embodiment of aerosol can supporting means.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a conventionalaerosol container or can containing a suitable spray deodorant, the saidcan being equipped with a conventional discharge valve stem 11 of thetype which is actuated by displacing the stem laterally from its normalaxis. conventionally, in order to effect a discharge from the can, theuser merely applies a finger to the valve stem 11 which when moved fromits normal position effects a discharge of the contents through the stem11 which is hollow. In accordance with my invention the aerosol can isintended to be mounted within the confines of a water tank 21 of aconventional toilet and, accordingly, I provide a pair of rubber suctioncups 12 each of which may be suitably attached to a wire band 13encircling the container 10.

Mounted on the valve stem 11 is a cylindrical cap 14 having an axialbore in the top end of which is received a flexible plastic tube 16.Preferably the tube is formed of suitable plastic material and has arelatively thick wall adequate to prevent collapse of the tube at pointsof bending. It will be apparent that the tube 16 communicates with thevalve stem 11 so that the contents as discharged from the can 10 in theform 3,093,835 Pat nted June 18, 1963.

2 of a time spray will pass through the tube 16 to be discharged at theend thereof outwardly into the ambient air. The end of'the'i tube 16 isretained in a'wire clip member 17 whichincludes a substantially invertedU-shaped. portion arranged to rest on and embrace the top edge of thetoilet tank, 'as illustratedin FIG. 1. Preferably the end of the tube 16is turned upwardly, as illustrated. in FIGS. land 2. Suitably secured tothe capmember 14 isan actuating ,arm 18 which may be formed from wire.andextend's laterally from the cap member "14. terminating in an'inVerted-U Shaped portion 19... It.will" be. apparent that. slightrocking movement of the arm.18 in an. upward direction will displace thevalve stern 11.and effect adischarge of the contents of the can 10 inthe forrnof a spray throughthe tube 16. Accordingly, the can 10 isinstalled inside thetank 21 preferably .in close proximity to the lever22 of the ball lift assembly. The suction cups 12 are caused tobefadhcred against the inner surface of the tank 21 and thecan 10is"disposed a position substantially as. illustratedjin FIG; '1' whereinthe arrn 18 preferably liesparallel to the lever 22fwith the invertedU-shaped.

portion 19 overhanging the lever 22. Thetube 16'is held in positionasillustrated in FIGZ l by the bracket 17 which rests on the rim of thetank 21.

It will be understood that the bracket 17 may. be placed on the rim ofthe end .wall of tank 21 instead of on .the. rear wall. When the,coverof the tank 21 is placed in position, the end of the tube 16 projectsbeyond'the cover, and .extends'into the room area so that any contentsfrom the can 10 are discharged directly into the room area.

In operation, itwillhe apparent that each time that the lever 23 ismanipulated to rock the lever 22in an upwardly direction so as to liftthe ball from the seat and effect a flushing action, the lever 22 willengage against the inverted U-shaped portion 19 effecting acorresponding movement of the arm 18 and displacement of the valve stem11 resulting in the discharge of a spray of deodorant into the ambientatmosphere.

In the modified embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, a pair ofsuction cups 24 are mounted in spaced relation on a sheet metal strip 26having inturned flanges 27 at both ends adapted to engage with the lip28 and bottom bead of a conventional aerosol spray can. The can may thusbe rigidly supported by the suction cups 24 on the interior wall of atank, such as 21a. The aerosol can in this instance is of the typeprovided with a discharge valve stem 29 which is intended to be actuatedby applying pressure directly on the top thereof. Thus, the stem isdisplaced slightly axially to effect a discharge of the contents fromthe can. The cap member 31 which is generally cylindrical in form isprovided with an axial bore to receive the valve stem 29 and with atransverse bore communicating with the axial bore to receive a flexibletube 16a. The end of the tube 16a is secured in a sheet metal clip 32which is provided with a U-shaped portion 33 arranged to rest on theupper rim of the wall of tank 21a.

A resilient clamp member 34 of generally arcuate formation and having aflange 36 at each end is adapted to clamp onto the can 25, with theflanges 36 engaging the shoulders 37 and 28 constituting parts of aconventional aerosol can. An actuating lever 38 shaped substantially asillustrated in FIG. 4 is pivotally connected to the clamp member 34 asby a wire loop 39 which is received in registering notches in the edgesof the clamp member 34 and lever 38. As will be seen by reference toFIG. 4, the end portion 41 of the lever 38 overhangs the cap 31 and whenthe lever 38 is rocked upwardly the end portion 41 bears against the cap31 depressing the same and effecting a discharge of the contents fromthe can 25. The opposite end of the lever 38 may be provided with anextension 42 to insure engagement with the lever of the ball liftassembly in the tank in the event of misalignment of the parts. 7

Referring to FIG. 3 it will be seen that the lever 38 is arranged torest on the lever of the ball lift assembly so that when the lever 23ais actuated to effect a flushing action, the lever 38 is caused to rockupwardly with the lever of the ball lift assembly thereby depressing thevalve 29 and eifecting a discharge of the contents into the ambientatmosphere.

FIGURE 5 illustrates a modified arrangement in which a clip 43 formed ofresilient material is arranged to engage the lip 37a of a conventionalaerosol can and remain substantially upright, as illustrated. A lever 44is pivotally connected to the clip 43 as by a wire loop 46 which permitsrocking of the lever 44 to engage cap 31a so as to depress the same andthereby effect a discharge of the contents from the can.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 6 a lever 47 is pivoted to thecan 25a by a wire loop 48, the ends of which are bent upwardly andpassed'through an aperture 49 in the lever and are then bent outwardlyto retain the lever. In both arrangements illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6,the levers 44 and '47, respectively, are intended to overhang or to atleast engage with the lever of the ball lift assembly so that anymovement of such lever is transmitted to the levers 44 or 47 to eifect aa discharge of the contents from the can.

The modified embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7 shows the use of a singlesuction cup in combination with a substantially U-shaped clip 48 whichmay be adjustably secured to a clamping member 26 such as illustrated inFIG. 4. 'In this embodiment the clip embraces the top portion of thewall of the tank and supports the can in depending relation.

It will be understood that the diiferent elements herein illustrated anddescribed wherever applicable may be used interchangeably in order toprovide a complete combination. For example, any of the actuatingarrangements illustrated in the drawings may be used with either of thecan supporting means or with either of the clip arrangements forsecuring the end of the flexible tube.

Various other modifications of my invention may suggest themselves tothose skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of myinvention. 'Hence, I do not wish to be limited to the specific examplesor illus trations described above, except to the extent indicated in theappended claim.

I claim:

In combination with a toilet tank provided with a cover and having aball lift assembly, an aerosol type can containing a spray deodorant andhaving a manually operable discharge valve, means for mounting said canwithin said tank, means operatively engageable with the discharge valveof said can and with the ball lift assembly for actuating said dischargevalve whereby to discharge a quantity of the contents of the can witheach operation of said ball lift assembly, a conduit connected to thedischarge valve to conduct discharged spray, a bracket carried on theupper edge of the tank wall and having means for securing the free endof said conduit exteriorly of said tank wall whereby spray is dischargedexteriorly of said tank, the conduit passing between the cover and theupper edge of said tank wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,107,393 Williams Aug. 18, 1914 1,291,428 Currie Jan. 14, 19192,830,742 Gibbons et al. Apr. 15, 1958 2,914,221 Rosenthal Nov. 24, 1959

